Blanche Lincoln and Bill Halter are vying for the Democratic Senate nomination in Arkansas.

Little Rock, Arkansas (CNN) – Democrats have held the Senate seat that is currently up for grabs in Arkansas for 131 years. Sen. Blanche Lincoln and Lt. Gov. Bill Halter hope to keep it that way. But the two Democrats are battling over who deserves to keep their party's streak going.

On Tuesday, Halter cast an early morning vote for himself. But Lincoln experienced a bit of a mix up: election officials had her listed as already voting absentee. Lincoln's campaign says the senator requested an absentee ballot but never filled it out. They expect for the issue to be resolved.

The potentially pivotal primary is attracting national attention. Lincoln, seeking a third term and endorsed by President Obama, is running as a moderate Democrat who prides herself on finding pragmatic solutions, even if it puts her at odds with her party. Halter, backed by several labor unions, has flanked his campaign to the left of the senator and supports many positions that liberals identify with.

A third candidate, Arkansas businessman DC Morrison, has very little name ID in the state and polls show low support for him.

But as the Democrat looks for votes, she faces grumblings from one key constituency that has overwhelmingly supported her in the past: African-Americans.

Lincoln is locked in a tight race with Arkansas Lieutenant Gov. Bill Halter. A third candidate, Arkansas businessman DC Morrison, has very little name recognition in the state and is registering low in the polls.

But support for Morrison could pull away votes from Lincoln and force a run-off between the top two vote getters. A candidate would have to receive at least 50-percent of the vote in Tuesday's primary to avoid a run-off.

Among the groups Lincoln is courting are African-Americans, a group that gave her 96-percent of its vote in the 2004 election. President Obama has endorsed Lincoln, and an ad featuring him is playing on black radio stations.FULL POST

But as the Democrat looks for votes, she faces grumblings from one key constituency that has overwhelmingly supported her in the past: African-Americans.

Lincoln is locked in a tight race with Arkansas Lieutenant Gov. Bill Halter. A third candidate, Arkansas businessman DC Morrison, has very little name recognition in the state and is registering low in the polls.

But support for Morrison could pull away votes from Lincoln and force a run-off between the top two vote getters. A candidate would have to receive at least 50-percent of the vote in Tuesday's primary to avoid a run-off.

Among the groups Lincoln is courting are African-Americans, a group that gave her 96-percent of its vote in the 2004 election. President Obama has endorsed Lincoln, and an ad featuring him is playing on black radio stations.FULL POST

A new ad released by labor group SEIU targets Arkansas Sen. Blanch Lincoln.

Washington (CNN) - It's not often that one of President Obama's major backers expresses support for him, but openly works against a candidate he is backing. But that is what's happening in the Arkansas Democratic Senate primary.

The Service Employees International Union released a new television ad on Thursday, complimenting a radio spot put out on Wednesday, that call for Sen. Blanche Lincoln's defeat. Earlier in the week, the Lincoln campaign released a radio ad featuring Obama.

Lincoln, seeking a third term, is running against Lt. Gov. Bill Halter in the primary.

The SEIU, a strong supporter of the president, is delicately using political strategy to make its case, essentially telling Democrats who like the president that they can still defy his wishes in this primary.

Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Chris Dodd have hammered out a deal that would impose new rules on the complicated financial bets that fueled the mess of the past three years.

Washington (CNNMoney.com) - Two key Democratic senators have hammered out a deal that would impose new rules on the complicated financial bets that fueled the mess of the past three years, a congressional aide said Monday.

Details on the deal between Agriculture panel chairwoman Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., and Banking panel chief Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., were scarse. But one aide told CNN that the deal maintained a provision that Lincon's committee passed last week that would force banks to spin off their swaps desk, or the parts that deal in making such risky bets.

Last week, one Republican - Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa - joined Democrats in passing the bill, which could signal broader GOP support for the general regulatory overhaul effort in coming weeks.
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Washington-(CNN) Senator Blanche Lincoln, D-Arkansas, has cancelled a New York fundraiser that had been works for Monday with Goldman Sachs executives, and is now vowing not to take any more campaign cash from the embattled Wall Street giant.

“In light of the S.E.C. lawsuit against Goldman Sachs, Senator Lincoln will schedule no future campaign-related events with the firm and will accept no further contributions from the firm's Political Action Committee or its employees,” said Katie Laning Niebaum, a spokeswoman for Lincoln’s Senate re-election campaign.

However, Lincoln still has no plans to give back campaign money she has already raised from Goldman Sachs. FULL POST

Sen. Blanche Lincoln will not return campaign donations from Goldman Sachs, she said Tuesday.

(CNN) - Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Arkansas, said Tuesday she has no plans to return $4,500 in campaign contributions she has received from embattled Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs' political action committee or the company's employees.

"The point here is, the contribution didn't make any difference because I still produced one of the toughest reform bills that's been presented," Lincoln told CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley in an interview on The Situation Room.

Lincoln has introduced legislation that she says would require 100 percent transparency in the derivatives market.

Lincoln faces a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Bill Halter in this year's election. The Halter campaign wasted no time Tuesday responding to Lincoln's decision not to return the contributions.

Washington (CNN) - Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln raised $1.3 million in the first three months of 2010 and has $4.3 million cash on hand, her campaign said Tuesday.

But Lincoln's numbers indicate she has been unable to match the pace set by Lieutenant Gov. Bill Halter, who will face off against Lincoln in the Democratic senatorial primary - now only five weeks away.

While Halter has not released official fundraising totals for the first quarter, he was able to raise $2 million in the month of March alone, campaign spokeswoman Laura Chapin told CNN Tuesday.

Halter's challenge from the left makes Lincoln's already difficult re-election bid even more complicated. Should she defeat Halter in the Democratic primary, she will still face a Republican candidate in the general election.